Liquid dispensing device



Sept. 7, 1948. oc 2,448,846

LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 4, 1947 1 -ZEE V null-Ilium a W nun-Inn 4:

III

[NVEN TOR. MAR/E L. T ROC/l/M ATTORNE vs Patented Sept. 7 194g entree PATENT I anaswuoum mseansmelnnvma.

Portland;- mg. Application-Mamba,1947, SerialNo, .l7 32,180.

7 1f I V This invention relates? to l improvementseir i liquid dispensing devices-randLparticularIy tolan ime proved massageidevicejhavingz incorporatedthere in means for dispensing...desired-quantities .or a liquid such as a lotion or: tonic onto-.thelskin or into the hair of the userw-hile thevdispensertis being used as a massagedevicer i Dispensers ofathis generaltypeehave been me viously proposed but have. -.not :proved to be entirely satisfactory; .the. main diflicultvrbeingsthe lack of any meansror controllingsthe amount ot fluid applied bY thQdBViCGwQHd their-ate at'whioh the fluid is applied; I 7

Such prior art devices have alsozlhadsa term.- ency' to leak and corrode. and it hassbeenl-rp md difficult to properly-maintainlthe flexible massage. portion of-the applicator-iniplace omthmbodywr. fluid containingcompartment thereof. I

. It is thus: among thewobject of the presentlne vention to provide "an: improved-sfluid app icator. and massage devicehavinglmeanslbyf whichithee user can accurately control the amounttofigfluid applied by thedevice andvin whioh tlie-. vice- 1s made entirely of noncorrosive tniaterials issleale proof and easily refillableand in which the flex, ible portion of the; applicatonisz-flrmly attached: to the rigidlportionrth ereof in=a-v manner suelr that the twoportionswill notrbecomerseparated during the use of :thedevicet Otherobjects and advantages willzzbecome apparent from a consideration eitherfollowingmdw scription in conjunction-iwithithetaccmlwnm i drawing wherein,-

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of theidevicershow ing' in plan the flexible applicatorrnprtion;1

Fig. 2 is a transverselsectional viewlthnou ltthedevice; and, i

Fig. 3 is a perspectivewvlew ot weenbrobwalve which; regulatesthe amount of :fluida applied bvthe device. I p

With continuedz referencestov thecdrawingaandi particularly to Fig. 2 the:-applicator.-?comprises-lal cup. shaped receptacle.,generallylindicatem at d ll; having. .a flat bottom wall I l, DIOVIdGdJWVilJhi'fliBBIlf-. tral aperture -l 2 and; with; alasurrounding gannulart flange portion l3.

Upstandingfromrthe bottom wall is an annular flange or wall 14 provided externally with large screw threads li'l'and havingintemally thereof a curved portion 16f whereuthel. annulanwall ,joins the bottom wall"! I; The flange.portibn....l'3 of the bottom wall is disposed entlrely'outsi'd'of annular wall 14. Acap, ge'nerallyvzindicated at l6, has a flat transverse wall portion... from onelsidev of wh'iclr' extends an annm'arjlange o1: walillp' provided. with internal screw' threads which fit the external threads. I5 'of the wall l4 ofv the re ceptacle. e An annular. flange or rim portion I 9 surroundsthe cap at the outer. circumferenceof the transverse wall l1 and. may belknurledor roughened to provide a firm hand gripwhen-ifiis" desired to remove ,orreplace the cap.

A gasket. or. seal 20 of suitable resilientim'ate rlal,l,such as rubber, is positioned on theitoprof. the annular. wall I4 of thereceptacle. and is clamped between the (top of 'this wallandl the overlyingvporti'on of [the transverse -wall I '1 oiQthe cap. to provid qam liquid tight sealb'etween ..the' capt'and. receptacle. I r A} concave flexible. applicator, generally, indi catedlatll ..provided!with a. thickened circumferentiah bead 22 having thereinan internal groove 23'. which" receives. the outer circumierene tial portion ofithe receptacle flange J 3 anditightlyr' ripstlife .outer portion of this flan geln a manner: such .that the applicator is .not. easily. removed from the receptacle. The material, such assoft flexible. rubber", of which the applicator is made has suflicient'stretch. or. resiliency so that the b'ead'fcan be applied over the flange and the-two parts may; be manually separated when desired, forcleaning. The applicator wall portion within the bead I 22 1s made. relatively thin and demovided with a number ofoutwardly projecting apertured J nipples. 24 through whichdiquid contained in the space between the applicator wall and the bottom wall HIof Ith'e receptacle-maybe dispensed. Between thenipples 24 there rare a number of roundedprojections or knobsZSi to improve the massaeing action of-'the.device.

A doublegended va1ve,.generally indieatedat 2B andparticularly.illustratedin Fla 3, is'.=oper-.- atively' positioned in the aperture 12f of'th'e .bottom w'all' of the receptacle. This valvemeinberris formed of suitable flexible material, such asasoft rubber, and comprises a pair of circular discend portions 21 an'd28' connected by astemrportion which maybe inlth'eiorm .ofLa-pair. of members 29f'and130}of narrow rectangular. crossseetioncrossed. at right angles .to each i other and dis- -pos"ed"between .the adjacent surfaces. of the-end, portions Z'Tlandf 281 It is to: be: understood that :asis clearly illustratedrin Fig.- 2; whi-18-fth8 diam eter ofth'edisc likeend p0rtions21pand-28ris somewhat greater .thantha diameter of -the=aper-- Tliislconstructi'on provides on the winner surface of each end portion an annular area overlying a portion of the bottom wall surrounding the aperture l2 therein. With this arrangement when either one of the end portions 21 or 28 is in contact with the adjacent surface of the bottom wall II it provides a seal precluding the passage of liquid through the aperture.

In using the device, when the device is held in the upright position shown in Fig. 2 and the cap l6 removed, the receptacle within the annular wall M may be filled with liquid and the liquid will be prevented from escaping through 4 flange outside of said receptacle and an aperture within said receptacle; a flanged circular closure cap for said receptacle; matching screw threads on the interior of said closure flange and on the exterior of said annular receptacle to operatively secure said closure member on said receptacle; a sealing gasket of flexible material between said closure member and said receptacle; a liquid applying, member of flexible material having a circumferential bead portion secured to the circumferential flange of the bottom wall of said receptacle and a normally concave wall the aperture l2 by the seating of the end portion 2'! of the valve on the bottom wall of the receptacle. l'he cap may then be replaced sealing the liquid in the receptacle. Whenit is desired to transfer liquid from the compartment massage member is pressed upwardly until it moves the valve to raise the end member 21 from the bottom wall of the receptacle. The liquid will then flow from the upper compartment into the lower compartment within the flexible massage member. When a sufficient amount of liquid has been transferred to the interior of the massage member the pressure on the receptacle is increased moving the massage member up further until the lower end member 28 of the valve is brought into contact withthe lower surface of the bottom wall ll of the receptacle thereby precluding any further flow of fluid through the aperture l2. The liquid in the massage or dispensing member [2 may then be dispensed through the apertured nipples 24 into the hair or onto the skin of the user. If additional liquid is desired it is only necessary to lighten the pressure on the device permitting the end member 28 of the valve to drop a slight distance below the bottom wall ll of the receptacle thereby permitting additional fluid to flow through the aperture 12 into the flexible applicator 2i.

' The receptacle Hi and the cap 16 are formed of suitable noncorrosive material, such as synthetic resin, and the valve member 26 and flexible massage member or applicator 2| are formed of a type of rubber, preferably synthetic rubber, which is resistant to any oils or alcohol that may be ingredients of the fluid used in the device.

The device is thus noncorrosive and the gasket 20 provides a leak proof seal between the cap and the receptacle while the thickened head 22 of the flexible applicator grips the flange portion of the receptacle so flrmly that no leakage of fluid is permitted between the receptacle and the applicator. At the same time, the valve 26 effectively controls the flow of fluid from the receptacle into the applicator so that the desired quantity of fluid may be applied during the massaging operation.

The invention may be embodied in other speciflc forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described a flat annular receptacle of rigid material having a flat bottom wall provided with a circumferential said liquid applying member; and a valve of flexible material seated within said aperture, said valve having opposite disc like end portions of a diameter sufiicient to provide annular portions overlying the portion of said bottom wall immediately surrounding said aperture and a connecting portion having passages therein for the passage of liquid through said aperture from said receptacle to said liquid applying member, said valve being effective to close said aperture whenever said liquid applying member is in its extended position; and when said liquid applying member is collapsed to press the bottom end of said valve against the under surface of the bottom wall of said receptacle and to open said aperture for the passage of liquid therethrough when said liquid applying member is in a partly collapsed position in which neither end of said valve member is in contact with the bottom wall of said receptacle.

2. In a device of the character described a receptacle having a bottom wall provided with a circumferential flange and a central aperture; a closure cap for said receptacle; a concave member of flexible material overlying said bottom wall on the side thereof opposite said receptacle and having a circumferential bead firmly secured to the flange portion of said bottom wall, and apertured nipples for passing fluid therethrough; and a two ended valve member seated in said aperture and effective to close said aperture when the valve is in either its uppermost or its lowermost position and to uncover said aperture for the passage of liquid therethrough when said valve is in an intermediate position.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said receptacle is formed of a noncorrosive synthetic resin and said flexible member and said valve are formed of noncorrosive flexible material such as synthetic rubber. I

4. ma manually portable device for applying a liquid to the hair or skin ofthe user, a rigid receptacle having a bottom wall provided with an aperture therethrough; a flexible liquid ap plying member secured to said bottom wall and extending over said aperture; and a double acting valve 'in said aperture manually operable by the application of controlled pressure to said liquid'applying device to control the flow of liquid through said aperture from said receptacle to the interior of said liquid applying device. I

MARIE L. 'I'ROCHIM.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS .Name Date N mber DAlessandro Apr. 8, 1924 

